Regina Maxima
by nonvoxsedvotum
Summary: Reyna's origin story, starting with Percy and Annabeth washing up on Circe's island and ending right after Jason's disappearance.. Contains some Jeyna undertones, so if it's not your ship, you might want to wait in the harbor. Multi-chapter.
1. Part I

Sometimes Reyna liked to look out over New Rome and wonder how differently her life could have turned out. She would marvel at how all these little coincidences fell into place to bring her to her current home. Had one thing changed, her whole life might have been different. On occasion, she allowed her mind to drift back to her time as an attendant on Aeaea and the seemingly-innocuous day when two half-bloods that would eventually change her life washed ashore.

"Reyna, Daphne, Europa," her older sister Hylla said. She worked as Circe's main attendant and checked guests into the spa. "C.C. wants a complete makeover for this young lady."

Reyna studied the new client. She was on the tall side and blonde, with striking gray eyes. She was about Reyna's own age, thirteen or so, a good deal younger than most of the women at the spa. Reyna could see why C.C. had ordered a makeover for her—the girl's hair was a tangled mess and her face was dirty and scratched. She looked like she'd gone a while without any contact with civilization.

Reyna liked the blonde girl. She was pretty and funny, and told her and the other attendants little stories about her adventures and random facts as they arranged her hair and applied makeup. Reyna was curious as to what she was doing in the Sea of Monsters, but she never mentioned anything about it.

"You're done," Reyna said shyly after she finished braiding the girl's hair with gold thread.

"Thank you," the blonde girl said. She reached up and touched the new hairstyle, seemingly unconsciously. "Do I look okay?"

"Of course you do," Daphne said. "We don't give bad makeovers here."

Europa held a large, ornate mirror out for the blonde girl to look into. She studied her face, touching her cheeks as if she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing.

"Wow," she said. "I look…I look really different."

"You look really good," Europa corrected. "Come on, let's go show C.C." She and Daphne escorted her out.

"What's her story?" Reyna whispered to her sister.

Hylla shrugged. "She just appeared on the island like everyone else, I suppose. I just checked her in. She had a boy with her, though, so it's another guinea pig for Lady Circe."

Reyna winced. Privately, she considered C.C.'s treatment of all males who showed up on her island to be a little harsh sometimes, though she'd never tell any of the other attendants on the Aeaea that. Even Hylla seemed to be perfectly okay with it.

Reyna began cleaning up the hair implements and makeup, putting everything back in its place as neatly as she could. Being one of the youngest on the island, she didn't have many duties, so she took great pride in what little C.C. entrusted her with.

Reyna heard screams from outside. She looked up in surprise as Hylla burst into the makeover room, her ponytail in disarray.

"Those two—that girl—they freed the pirates!"

"They did _what_?"

"They turned the pirates back into humans! I don't know what happened to the half-bloods, but now the pirates are wrecking the spa! Reyna, we have to get out of here!"

"I—"

"Don't argue!" Hylla grabbed Reyna's wrist and pulled her from the room. Reyna stumbled a little as Hylla half-dragged her through spa. Her eyes went wide as she took in the disarray—tiki torches broken, lounge chairs sprawled on their sides, towels thrown everywhere. It made her a little sad. The island had been so beautiful.

"They took the ship. They took the ship. Oh, my gods, Reyna, those two kids took the pirates' ship!" Hylla was almost in a panic.

Reyna didn't see why this was such a big deal. So there was one less ship on island—why was that a bad thing?

But then she saw the pirates clustered on the shore and realized just how bad their situation had become. The spa attendants couldn't leave the island, and now neither could the pirates. Reyna, Hylla, and their fellow workers were now trapped with a crew of angry, resentful pirate men.

"Where's Circe?" Reyna asked. "Won't she help?"

"She's gone," Hylla all but spat. "Fled. We're alone."

"But—" Reyna couldn't figure out why the sorceress would do such a thing, abandoning them when they needed her most.

"We don't have time to chat. We need to get off Aeaea, _now_, before they catch us." Without waiting for Reyna to respond, Hylla grabbed her sister's wrist and began pulling her through the spa, toward the rear of the island.

"Let's just go around this way," Hylla said. "Maybe there's something we can—"

A languid voice spoke in front of them. "Well, what might we have here?"

Hylla stopped dead and Reyna almost bumped into her. One of the pirates stood in front of them, cleaning his filthy nails with his dagger. Reyna couldn't see it making much of a difference.

"And where might you two pretty girls be going?" He grinned at them, his dagger glinting in the sunlight.

Hylla's hand tightened on Reyna's wrist, not so much an indication of tension as it was sending a message—_don't say anything. Let me handle this._ Reyna was more than happy to oblige.

As it turned out, though, Hylla didn't get a chance to say much. She had barely opened her mouth when the pirate pointed a chipped and rusted sword at her chest.

"No talkin', please, lass," he said. "You two just go nice 'n quiet over where the rest of the ladies are. Don't make a fuss."

Reyna's breath came short and fast and her hands shook slightly. She looked up at Hylla, who inclined her chin a fraction of an inch: _do as he says. _Reyna started to trudge back up the beach, around to where the other attendants were clustered. Hylla followed her, making sure to stay between the pirate and her sister.

"Now, you ladies will seat yourselves over there," one man said, pointing with his cutlass. "Keep the chatter to a minimum and no sudden moves, if it please ye. That's good."

Reyna filed with her sister and the other attendants to the area indicated. She could sense the fear and anxiety in the group of her coworkers as they all sat huddled together.

"I'm scared, Hylla," Reyna whispered.

Her older sister found her hand and gripped it tightly. "It'll be fine," she said. "I promise. We'll be all right."

"Are you sure?"

Hylla lifted Reyna's chin. "We're tough," she said. "We can take care of ourselves."

Reyna wanted to believe her. She just wasn't sure she could.

Several days passed. The women on Aeaea were permitted to return to the wreck of Circe's spa, but they couldn't leave the pirates' sight, much less the island. Once, this had been Reyna's idea of paradise. She had been content to stay with her sister and work her little jobs, waiting for the day that Circe might take her under her wing and teach her magic. Aeaea seemed much less welcoming, however, now that it seemed she and Hylla would never be able to leave.

One night, Reyna dozed on a lounge chair but was awoken by Hylla shaking her shoulder.

"Wake up, Reyna. I have something for you."

Reyna sat up and blinked. Hylla's shadowy figure knelt beside the chair, her dark eyes visibly urgent even in the low light.

"What is it?"

"I snuck this from one of the pirates while he was passed out drunk," Hylla said, voice low. She pressed something into her sister's palm—a dagger.

Reyna looked at her, baffled. "I don't know how to use this."

"You're smart. You can figure it out. I know it." Hylla glanced skyward. "And I think our mother can help."

"Goddess of war…" Reyna realized. "You really think she would?"

"I do."

"So what are we going to do?"

Hylla grinned and patted her belt. Reyna almost dropped the dagger—a sword hung from her older sister's hip like it belonged that.

"That pirate was _very _drunk," she said. "We won't act yet, though. We need time and training."

"But the pirates never let us out of their sight."

"I think we can work something out."

And they did—sneaking away for short periods of time, teaching themselves how to fight. On some days, they could spare only minutes; others, no time at all. But as the weeks passed, their training started to pay off.

At first, the dagger didn't feel right in Reyna's hand. She didn't know what to do with it. But as she practiced and learned to channel her godly blood, sureness steadied her. The dagger seemed to fit better in her palm, like an extension of her arm. She even learned to use the sword Hylla stole.

One morning, Reyna woke to see Hylla crouched beside her lounge chair.

"Is this it?" Reyna asked.

Hylla nodded. "Be ready and watch for an opportunity, like we learned."

Reyna didn't have to wait long for the opportunity Hylla spoke of. The pirates often congregated in what used to be the spa's main area to drink, make off-color jokes, and keep an eye on the attendants. Reyna now knew that this was a big mistake on their part: clustering all their fighting force in one area made it fairly easy for them to be picked off by an attacker.

Hylla brushed against Reyna as she walked by with a tray of drinks—the pirates liked having the attendants serve them. Reyna, recognizing her sister's signal, slid her dagger out from under a pile of rubble, keeping it aligned with her arm so it wouldn't be immediately visible. She got up and trailed behind Hylla, trying to look as casual as possible as she stepped behind the nearest pirate.

She whipped out her dagger and pressed it against his throat. "Don't make any sudden moves," she said.

He raised his hands in surrender, but one of his companions saw her and shouted, reaching for his cutlass. Hylla dropped the tray she carried and unsheathed her own sword, meeting him with a clang of metal.

"Behind you," she said to Reyna, almost casually.

Reyna yanked an extra dagger from her prisoner's belt and spun just in time to block the downswing from another pirate's knife. She disarmed him almost with ease, backed him against a wall, and moved to find her next opponent.

Reyna wasn't afraid like she had been months ago. She knew how to use her weapons, and use them well. As she fought, she let her body do the thinking for her: stab, parry, slash, disarm. It came to her as naturally as breathing now.

"Reyna!" Hylla called. She tossed her younger sister a sword. "Think you can do some damage with that?"

Reyna smiled and turned to face her next opponent, disarming him with a few short strikes. The weapons felt natural in her hands now, like she'd been training with them her whole life. She disarmed several pirates with relative ease—they weren't expecting a fight, and certainly not one of the calibers Reyna and Hylla brought.

"What's this?" the pirate's captain—Reyna remembered his name was Edward Teach—growled.

Reyna lunged forward and seized a pistol from the holster of her opponent while he was distracted, cocking the hammer as Hylla slid around and knocked the sword out of Captain Teach's hand.

When the dust cleared, Reyna and Hylla stood, the former aiming a loaded and ready-to-fire pistol right between the eyes of one pirate while the latter brandished a sword at their captain.

Hylla kept the sword level at Captain Teach's throat. "Now, we're going to leave this island, and you're not going to stop us," she said conversationally. "Understand?"

There was a pause. Then the captain said, "Aye, we understand."

Hylla blinked as though surprised at his acquiescence. She recovered quickly, however, and said, "Good. And you'll let the others off Aeaea if they wish as well. If they stay, no harm will come to them. Am I clear?"

"You are, lass." There was a pause, and then the captain said, "Where'd such as you learn to use weapons?"

Hylla lifted her chin slightly. "You might say it's in our blood," she said, and Reyna grinned.

An hour later, Reyna sat at the prow of a small speedboat as it sped away from Aeaea. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of sea spray misting her face and the wind tangling her hair.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" she called to Hylla.

Her older sister frowned down at the boat's controls. "It's not that difficult," she said. "I think I've got it mostly figured out."

"Where are we going, anyway?"

Hylla didn't answer at first. Then she said, "California. We're going to California."

"But we're near Florida, aren't we? How are we going to make it to California in this little thing?"

Hylla smiled. "The Sea of Monsters works in mysterious ways. You'd be surprised how far we can make it."

Reyna was quiet for a minute, letting this sink in. Then she said, "But why California, of all places?"

Again, Hylla didn't answer right away. At length, she said, "I don't really have an answer for you. I just feel like it's the right place to go."

Reyna couldn't argue with that, so she just settled back down and watched the ocean spread out before their little boat.

Sometime later, Reyna and Hylla stood on a California street, completely lost and a little disoriented. After much pacing and looking at street signs, Hylla picked a direction and began walking briskly. Reyna was almost sure she'd chosen it at random, but she knew better than to say anything. So she just walked at her sister's side and tried to enjoy the warmth of the sun and the variety of people around them.

"So what are we looking for, exactly?" Reyna asked after a time.

"I'm not sure. Just keep walking."

They stepped down an alley. Reyna wasn't sure what happened, but the air seemed to change, as though they'd crossed some invisible barrier.

"Hylla, maybe we should—"

A knife sliced the air next to Hylla's ear, just missing it.

Reyna drew her dagger without even thinking about it, ready to defend her sister's back in case someone tried to attack from behind. Hylla's sword all but jumped into her hand and she whirled, meeting their attacker's blade in midair. The stranger leapt away and swung at Reyna, who blocked her as well and tried a disarming technique. It didn't work; their attacker was faster than anyone Reyna had ever seen. Her weapon seemed to jump from one place to the next without wasting time traveling there. It was only due to Bellona's blessing on her daughters that Reyna was able to keep the stranger at bay.

The attacker stepped back as if to catch her breath. Reyna and Hylla backed up warily, weapons at the ready. They stood facing a slender, auburn-haired young woman. She gripped her own weapon: a long, slender knife that looked as beautiful as it was deadly.

"We won't hurt you if you don't hurt us," Hylla said, her gaze never wavering from the newcomer's face.

There was a tense pause. Then the other woman lowered her knife. After a heartbeat, Hylla and Reyna did the same.

"I've never seen those weapons before," the stranger said. "Where did you get them?"

"It's a long story," Hylla said. "I'm Hylla. This is my sister Reyna."

"My name's Kinzie." She sheathed her knife and regarded them. "You know, with the way you handle weapons, I think you two may be of use to us, if you're interested."

"Us?" Hylla said.

"The Amazons," Kinzie said. "We're always looking for strong, independent fighters. Like you."

Reyna and Hylla glanced at each other but said nothing.

"Where'd you learn to fight like that, anyway?" Kinzie went on.

"We taught ourselves," Hylla said.

Reyna could tell Kinzie didn't believe them. "Did you, now?"

"We did," Reyna said. "We're daughters of Bellona. I guess you could say it comes naturally to us."

Kinzie's interest focused on Reyna like a laser, but the younger girl didn't flinch. "Daughters of Bellona, hm? I take it the camp didn't agree with you?"

"Camp?" Hylla echoed. "What camp?"

The Amazon blinked at them. "The camp for Roman demigods, of course. It's right here, in California."

"How do you find it?" Reyna asked. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hylla look at her curiously, but the younger girl kept her attention focused on Kinzie.

Kinzie rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "As far as I know," she said, "you don't. Lupa—she's the wolf goddess—sends her pack to find you when the time is right. She takes you to some place called the Wolf House. As far as what happens after that, I don't know."

Reyna turned this over in her mind. Although she knew next to nothing about this camp, she liked the idea of it. A place for demigods, for people like her, to train. She could honor her mother there.

Kinzie pulled out her knife and began using it to clean her nails. "So here's my sales pitch: you join us, you get an extended warranty on your life and you get to live in a matriarchal, girl-power-all-the-way society. You learn to fight better than anyone." She raised her eyebrows. "Even better than you are now. You also get to cash in on our profits and help us run our business."

"Business?" Reyna asked.

Kinzie waved a hand. "That's not important right now. So what do you think? Are you in?"

Reyna had been watching Hylla throughout Kinzie's speech. She recognized the spark in her older sister's eyes—she liked the sound of these Amazons. Hylla would join them. Reyna had no doubt that her sister would do well, but as for herself, she wasn't sure.

Hylla opened her mouth to respond.

"Wait," Reyna said. "Can we have a moment alone? Do you mind?"

Kinzie flicked her gaze between the girls as though trying to analyze their motives. "Sure. How's this: there's a safe house nearby. Let's crash there while you think things over."

"Sounds great," Hylla said.

The Amazons' safe house turned out to be a cozy brick structure tucked away in a corner of the city. Reyna sat on a bed in one of the rooms, looking up at the walls and trying not to think about how much things were about to change.

Hylla tapped on the door and stepped inside. "Reyna?"

"Come in," she said.

Hylla sat on the bed beside her. "What are you thinking?" she asked quietly.

"I don't want to be an Amazon. I don't think it's the life for me."

"That's all right," Hylla said. "Frankly, I agree. You'll be better off on your own. Find your way to this Wolf House. Show them what you're made of."

"Do you really have to go?" Reyna asked quietly.

"Yes," Hylla said. "It just—it feels right. You go on to this camp. That's where you belong. But I belong with the Amazons."

Reyna hugged her sister hard, feeling a lump rise in her throat. She'd never been without Hylla before, and suddenly the thought of going on without her at her side made Reyna nervous.

Hylla put her hands on Reyna's shoulders. "You walk your own path from now on, and I walk mine," she said softly. "Maybe they'll cross again someday. Maybe not. But we just have to keep going regardless."

"I understand," Reyna said.

"Take this," Hylla said. "It was a gift from our mother. Remember me, all right?" She pressed something cool and hard into Reyna's palm.

Reyna looked down to see a silver ring embossed with a crossed sword and torch—Bellona's symbol. She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, closing her fingers around the ring.

"Be strong," Hylla said, looking into her sister's eyes.

"I will be," Reyna said.

Hylla gave her slight smile. "I know you will."

Kinzie glanced into the sisters' room. "They're here," she said.

"Who's here?" Reyna asked.

"The wolves," Kinzie said, as though it were obvious. "They're here for you."


	2. Part II

Reyna didn't think things could get much more bizarre than they had been in the past few weeks, but trekking through California with a wolf pack and all her worldly belongings in a backpack certainly qualified as "not normal."

She had initially been nervous about sleeping out in the open with a bunch of wolves, but when night came and she and her guides stopped in a clearing, she found it to be not so nerve-wracking at all. The wolves curled up around the clearing, Reyna amongst them like she was a part of the pack.

The trip turned out shorter than she expected, or maybe she just lost track of time. Late one morning, she found herself standing outside a mansion made of red and gray stones. It was more beautiful than she'd thought.

The wolves she'd traveled with walked up to the door and turned to look at her expectantly. Reyna climbed the steps to join them. The door was closed and looked firmly locked, like it hadn't been opened in decades. She hesitated a moment, then reached for the doorknob. It turned easily in her hand, and she stepped inside a large foyer. Rough-hewn wood timbers supported a high ceiling, but Reyna didn't spend much time admiring the architecture. Her eyes were drawn to the center of the room, where a large wolf sat as though she had been expecting Reyna.

_I am Lupa, _she said. _I am first among the wolves. I suckled the founder of Rome and his brother and raised them as my own. If you are worthy, you, too, will become my pup._

Reyna didn't know how she'd understood the wolfess—she hadn't spoken out loud, or even in Reyna's mind. She got her message across through body language and expression alone.

"I am Reyna," the girl said. "Daughter of Bellona."

_I see. _Lupa rose to her feet and walked over to Reyna to examine her.

Reyna couldn't have imagined how large the wolf goddess would be. She stood taller than Reyna at the shoulder, easily the size of a horse and perhaps even larger. Her fur was chocolate red in color. Reyna wasn't sure how to behave in the presence of a goddess like this, so she stood with her chin slightly raised, awaiting judgment.

Lupa circled her, sniffing. Reyna knew she should have been afraid, but she wasn't. She knew she belonged at the Roman camp. She was strong enough to overcome anything, even this trial-by-wolf. She just had to prove it.

When Lupa settled on her haunches in front of Reyna, she met the wolf goddess's silver eyes without flinching.

_I think the camp could use you_, Lupa said, and Reyna felt a warm tendril of pride uncurl within her. Finally, someone thought her useful.

_I will train you_, Lupa went on. _It will not be easy. The Roman way rarely is. _

"I'm ready," Reyna said. "I can take it."

Lupa studied her. _Good, _she said. _We will begin at once. _

So Reyna trained. It was a different sort of training she had undergone with Hylla, not the mastery of weapons so much as the development of discipline and will. Reyna learned how to carry herself like a Roman and how to gather her own inner strength around her like a suit of armor. She learned how to hone and listen to her instincts, like a wolf.

Lupa had been right; the training and tests were not easy. Many times, Reyna wondered if she could endure it. But then she remembered she was a daughter of Bellona, the most Roman goddess there was. She had survived months of being held captive by pirates. She'd lived through leaving her sister and trekking through the wilderness with a wolf pack. This was only one more thing that she would withstand and use to make herself stronger.

A couple of months after her arrival at the Wolf House, Lupa called her forward. _You have learned well, _she said.

Reyna inclined her head in thanks.

_Go, _Lupa said. _Find the camp. It will not be difficult for you. _

"Thank you," Reyna said. "For everything."

Lupa flicked an ear and merely said, _Remember your training. _Then she and her pack slid into the shadows, leaving Reyna alone in the Wolf House.

Reyna shouldered her pack. She faced another journey now, on her own this time. She knew the camp was somewhere in San Francisco, near the Caldecott Tunnel. That was all Lupa had told her. The rest was up to Reyna.

She trekked through California, heading south. If asked, she wouldn't have been able to say where she was going or how she knew which way to go. She thought she could _feel_ the camp, hear it in her head. She was always pointed in the right direction, letting her internal radar guide her to her new home.

After several days, Reyna found herself overlooking San Francisco Bay. It was beautiful, glittering in the setting sun. Reyna was tired; she'd been pushing herself hard the past day or so, knowing she was getting close to her destination.

As she stood before a busy roadway, her eyes were drawn to a pair of maintenance tunnels. One was guarded by two kids, maybe her age or a little older, in gold armor, jeans, and purple t-shirts. Something in the back of her head lit up, and she knew without a doubt that this was the entrance to the camp. Reyna sighed with relief. She'd found it. She, at last, was home.

One of the guards caught sight of her. Reyna lifted her chin in a gesture that could either be taken as a challenge or a greeting, depending on who she faced.

"What's your name, demigod?" the guard said. Though the words were formal, her voice sounded friendly.

"I'm Reyna," she said. "Lupa sent me."

"_Salve_, Reyna," the older girl said, pronouncing it _sal-way_. Somehow, Reyna knew the word was a greeting. "My name's Gwen," the girl went on. She glanced at her companion. "I'll take her in." Her fellow guard nodded and Gwen gestured to Reyna. "Come with me. It's just through the tunnel."

Reyna followed Gwen through the Caldecott Tunnel, breathing in the damp, earthy scent of it. Just as Reyna began to wonder when it would end—the tunnel seemed much longer than it should have been—she saw sunlight up ahead. Seconds later, she followed Gwen out into an area overlooking a huge, bowl-shaped valley. A sparkling blue river wound around it, almost protectively.

"Welcome to Camp Jupiter," Gwen said.

Reyna could never have imagined that the camp would be so _big. _There was a whole city nestled inside the banks of the river, with houses and shops and universities. And it was beautiful—done in the style of the greatest empire in the world, as though Rome still lived on in all its glory.

Gwen noticed Reyna's awe. "New Rome," said the older girl. "Isn't it something?"

"Wow," Reyna managed. "I never thought—this is amazing."

Gwen smiled. "Let me take you to the _principia_," she said. "I'm sure Lucas and Felicia will be eager to meet you. Do you know your godly heritage, or—?"

"Daughter of Bellona," Reyna said distractedly. She tried to look at everything they passed at once: the people, the shops, the homes. It seemed so surreal.

"Mm," Gwen said. "Very good. How old are you, Reyna?"

"Twelve," Reyna told her.

"Hey, Gwen!" someone called. Both girls turned as a good-looking blond kid about Reyna's age jogged up. "Is this the new recruit?"

"Oh, here's Jason," Gwen said. "Do you want to take it from here?"

"Sure," the blond kid said. He grinned at Reyna as Gwen walked off. "I'm Jason Grace, son of Jupiter. You're Reyna, right?"

"That's right," Reyna said. "I'm a daughter of Bellona."

"Bellona, hm? That's useful. Where are you from?"

Reyna didn't think he'd believe her if she told him she was from a magical island in the Sea of Monsters, so she named her birthplace instead. "Puerto Rico."

There was a pause. Reyna didn't know if the silence between them was awkward or amiable, so she tried to fill it just to be safe. "What about you? Where are you from?"

He frowned slightly. "You know, I'm not really sure. It's kinda funny, but I've been here most of my life. As long as I can remember, anyway."

"Really? Is that usual for legionaries?" Reyna suddenly felt nervous. Was she really years behind the other campers?

Jason, however, laughed. "No way," he said. "I'm weird in that sense. Most don't come until they're around our age, give or take."

"Oh," Reyna said. "I see."

They kept walking. Jason pointed out a few choice points along the way: "That's your mom's temple," "They have the best hot chocolate there." Reyna was grateful for his chatter, because she didn't know what she'd say if he'd been silent.

They halted in front of a large, white marble building that Reyna could only assume was the _principia._ A purple banner with the letters SPQR embroidered on it in gold hung in front of the building.

"It stands for _Senatus Populusque Romanus,_" Jason said. "That means—"

"The Senate and People of Rome," Reyna finished for him, a little surprised at the ease of the translation.

Jason looked at her approvingly. "Very good," he said. "You're a quick learner." He gestured to the building. "Well, go ahead in," he said. "I can't go with you, unfortunately. But don't worry, Lucas and Felicia are very fair, and they'll make you feel welcome."

"Right. Um, thank you," Reyna said.

He gave her a quick grin. "No problem. I'll see you later." He jogged off.

Reyna walked up the steps of the _principia_. The interior was beautiful—all polished marble, velvet hangings, and military symbols she vaguely recognized, though she didn't think she'd ever seen any of them before. A long table cluttered with maps, scrolls, notebooks, and various weapons took up the center of room. Two statues of greyhounds, one silver and one gold, flanked the table. As Reyna passed them, they turned their heads to watch her go. Reyna was proud of the fact that she only jumped a little.

"Welcome," a voice at the end of the room said. Two kids, older than Reyna, sat in identical high-backed chairs behind the table. The one who had spoken, a guy with dark blond hair, smiled at her. The other, a girl with chin-length dark brown hair and dark eyes, merely tipped her chin in Reyna's direction.

"You must be the newcomer," the boy went on. "Gwen told us you'd be up. I'm Lucas, and this is Felicia. We're the praetors of New Rome."

"Hello," Reyna said tentatively. "Your dogs…will they bite?" She wasn't sure she liked the way they were eyeing her.

"Not unless you plan on lying to us," Felicia said.

"Don't worry," Lucas told her. "You haven't done anything wrong. They're probably just curious about you."

Reyna was grateful for his reassurance, even though he was probably only telling her the facts.

"What's your name?" Felicia asked.

"Reyna," she told them. "I'm a daughter of Bellona."

"Mm," Felicia said. "Well, let's see. You passed Lupa's judgment and survived her training. You also made it to the came without dying. Those are accomplishments in and of themselves, and we applaud you." She inclined her head slightly—all the kudos Reyna would get from her.

"The next step, I think, is to visit our augur and see if the signs are favorable for you to join," Lucas said.

Felicia rolled her eyes and muttered something Reyna didn't quite catch about "pointless formalities."

Lucas gave Felicia a sideways glare. "Traditions help keep New Rome in touch with its roots," he said pointedly. "Go to the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. Octavian will read the signs and deliver a verdict."

Reyna nodded and left the _principia_, hoping she wouldn't get too lost on the way to the temple.

She did get a bit lost, but it didn't matter. Reyna thoroughly enjoyed walking through New Rome. There was so much going on, and it was hard to believe there was a whole city tucked away in San Francisco, completely hidden from mortal eyes. She even stopped and got a cup of hot chocolate from the vendor Jason had pointed out on their way in. He'd been right; it was the best cocoa she'd ever had.

Eventually, Reyna found Jupiter's temple. It was imposing, to say the least. Reyna hesitated outside for a moment or two, suddenly nervous.

_You defeated pirates with your own hands, _she reminded herself. _You walked with wolves. This is nothing._

She squared her shoulders and walked into the temple.

At first, she thought it was empty. The huge statue of Jupiter Optimus Maximus glared down at her, making her feel dwarfed and insignificant. She took a few steps further in, craning her neck to look at the god's face. He didn't look very welcoming.

"So. You're the newcomer, is that it?"

Reyna turned and found herself facing a skinny blond boy a few years older than her. He shouldn't have unsettled her so much, but the slightly deranged look in his blue eyes made her nervous. He seemed unpredictable, and she didn't like that.

"I'm Octavian, legacy of Apollo and camp augur," the kid said. Reyna noticed his tattoo: a lyre with three lines beneath it.

"Pleased to meet you," Reyna said, though she didn't mean it. "I'm supposed to see you about a reading?"

"Yes," he said. He literally rubbed his hands together. "Do you have a sacrifice?"

"Um, no. I didn't know I needed one." Reyna wondered if there was a shop in town that sold animals for sacrificing. The thought made her a little nauseated.

Octavian sighed. "Very well. I have a few backups here. But next time, have something ready."

"Of course," Reyna said, though she didn't ever plan to return to the temple unless absolutely necessary.

Octavian walked behind the altar and rummaged around behind it. Instead of leading out a goat, though, as Reyna expected, he brought out a plush pegasus. Before Reyna could react, he whipped out a knife and slashed the belly of the plush animal open, spilling the stuffing on the altar.

Reyna took an involuntary half-step back. "Ah…"

Octavian glanced back at her. "Oh, we use stuffed animals now. It used to be the real deal, but now these." He turned back to the stuffing, examining it intently. After a few moments, he turned back to Reyna. "Good news! You can join the legion. You'll have your cohort assigned to you at evening muster. Go on and tell Lucas and Felicia that I approve."

"Yes," Reyna said. She turned to go, then stopped. "Um…thank you."

Octavian waved his knife in a _yes, of course _gesture. "It's my job. My gift, I suppose you could say."

"Right," Reyna said. "Well, goodbye, then."

"Goodbye!" Octavian said cheerfully, waving his knife with a little too much gusto.

Reyna gave him a weak smile and backed out of the temple, privately vowing to never allow herself to be alone with him again if it could be helped.

Reyna ran into Felicia on her way back to the _principia. _"Octavian said to tell you that he approved of me joining the legion…?"

"Good," Felicia said. "You'll be officially inducted later tonight. Now, I suggest you go get yourself kitted out for evening muster. They'll help you in the armory if you're polite."

"Of course," Reyna said. "Thank you." She walked in the direction Felicia indicated, shoulders somewhat more relaxed. The first few trials of the day were over. She was on her way to becoming a member of the legion now.

Her newfound confidence lasted right up the moment the armory-workers handed her a set of golden armor and then turned their backs on her, intent on their own work. Reyna stared at the armor with some dismay; the myriad straps and plates were completely foreign to her. Clearly, her inherited skills didn't extend to the defensive side of things.

Off in a corner of the armory, Reyna struggled with her new armor, trying to do up the straps one-handed. It wasn't easy, and she was almost about to give up in frustration when she heard Jason ask, "You want some help with that?"

Embarrassed, Reyna nodded. "Sorry, I just can't figure it out."

"Don't worry about it," Jason said, expertly doing up the straps. "It's not designed to be put on without help, anyway." He yanked hard on one. "There, I think you're done."

"Thanks," Reyna said.

He handed her helmet over. "Don't forget that," he said. "Maybe I'll see you at muster. Hey, maybe you'll join the Fifth Cohort!"

"Maybe," Reyna agreed, though she didn't have much idea of what that meant.

Jason frowned slightly. "Well, you might not want to. Either way, though." His face cleared and he smiled at her. "Come on, let's head down together. You don't want to be late on your first day."

Reyna found the sight of the assembled legion to be awe-inspiring. Two-hundred-plus kids in full Roman armor and weapons stood at attention in impeccable rows in front of their barracks. Jason waved at her and headed for the Fifth Cohort. Reyna hefted her shield and started down the hill, trying not to topple over. The armor was far heavier than she was prepared for.

"This way, recruit," Felicia called, and Reyna made her way over, fortunately not falling on her face. "You'll stand with us while the centurions call roll."

"Colors!" Octavian shouted, and several kids in lion-skin capes stepped forward, holding poles bearing various emblems. Reyna guessed they were the cohorts' symbols, though one of the poles had nothing on it. She wondered what the story behind that was.

Lucas and Felicia stepped forward. "This newcomer, Reyna, seeks to join the legion," Lucas called. "What do the auguries say?"

"I have read the entrails!" Octavian announced. "The auguries are favorable. She is qualified to serve!"

"_Ave!_" the campers shouted.

"Recruit, do you have any credentials?" Felicia asked.

The bottom of Reyna's stomach dropped out. She hadn't known she needed credentials to get into the camp. Kinzie hadn't mentioned anything about it.

"Um, no, I don't," she started to say.

Lucas cleared his throat. "Actually, we just received a letter from the Amazon queen. Something about us letting her sister in or she'd sic her warriors on us."

_Amazon queen? _Pride swelled in Reyna's chest and she had to stifle a smile. Hylla certainly hadn't wasted any time in the months since they'd parted.

Octavian blinked. "The Amazon queen? I see." He glanced back at Felicia, who raised an eyebrow at him as if to say, _You're the senior centurion. Don't you know everything? _

"Very well," Octavian continued. "She has credentials. What cohort will accept the daughter of Bellona into their ranks?"

"The Third Cohort will take her," someone said. A girl with a russet braid stepped forward and nodded toward Reyna.

"Does the cohort accept the recruit?"

There was a pause, and then the Third Cohort banged their shields against the ground, showing their approval. Reyna felt a small tendril of relief uncurl inside her and she realized just how nervous she'd been, how afraid she was they wouldn't accept her.

"My cohort has spoken," the girl said. "We accept the recruit."

"Congratulations, Reyna. You stand on _probatio. _You will be given a tablet with your name and cohort. In one year's time, or as soon as you complete an act of valor, you will become a full member of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata. Serve Rome, obey the rules of the legion, and defend the camp with honor. _Senatus Populusque Romanus!_"

As the legion cheered, Reyna lifted her chin slightly. Lucas pointed her in the direction of her new cohort and she was directed to stand in the line as the praetors read a few more announcements for the camp.

"That was Hannah," a voice behind her whispered. "She's one of our centurions. Be sure to thank her later—she's taking a risk."

Reyna knew she couldn't turn around to see who spoke, though she wanted to.

"Centurions," Felicia said, "you and your troops have an hour for dinner. Then we will meet on the Field of Mars. The Second and Third Cohorts will defend. The First, Fourth, and Fifth will attack. Good fortune."

The cohorts cheered and broke ranks, heading for the mess hall. Reyna quickly turned to see who her helper had been, but only managed to catch a glimpse of a white-blonde ponytail hanging down the back of golden armor. Reyna mouth twisted in disappointment at missing her opportunity to thank her, but she consoled herself with the thought that their paths would likely cross again.

Hannah, the centurion, thunked a hand down on Reyna's shoulder. "Welcome, recruit," she said. "Our barracks are over there." She pointed to one of the buildings. "Go get yourself settled in and choose a bunk, then join us for dinner."

"Okay. And, um, thank you. For speaking up for me."

Hannah gave a short nod. "You look like you'll bring something to this cohort. Just don't let me down, all right?" She turned and walked off.

"Yes, ma'am," Reyna said quietly. She faced the barracks. They were all identical save for a small number positioned by the door announcing which cohort it belonged to. Reyna removed her helmet and started clanking toward the Third Cohort's barracks.

Her conversation with Hannah had enabled the other legionnaires to shell off their armor and make it out of the barracks before she arrived, so the place was empty when she entered. Reyna stood in the center of the room, unsure of what to do. Every bed was so neatly made it was hard to tell which ones were occupied. Was someone supposed to help get her settled, or were new campers expected to choose a bed and duke it out if it turned out to be occupied?

"I'm so sorry!" a voice behind her said. "Hannah only just told me you were on your way to the barracks. I got here as quickly as I could."

Reyna turned and saw the blonde girl who'd stood behind her during muster. She was panting slightly.

"Oh…it's not a problem," Reyna said.

"I'm Astrid," the girl went on. "You'll be bunking under me, and I'll show you the ropes. You're Reyna, right?"

"Right. Nice to meet you."

"Same. Is that your stuff?" Astrid gestured to Reyna's pack.

Reyna nodded.

"Here's your bed—unless you want top bunk," Astrid added, looking at Reyna.

Even though it was a small gesture, Reyna was touched that Astrid would be willing to give up her bunk for her. "No, it's fine. Thank you, though."

"Sure thing." Astrid adjusted her weapons belt. "Come on, let's go get dinner. Then we get to fight in the war games—that's always fun."

"War games?" Reyna said as they made their way down to the dining pavilion.

"It's a little like capture the flag, if you've ever played that," Astrid explained. "We're defending with the Second Cohort, which isn't too bad. Do you have your weapons yet?"

Reyna shook her head.

Astrid clicked her tongue against her teeth. "We'll eat dinner quickly," she decided. "You're going to want weapons during the war games. Have you had any experience with anything?"

"Yeah, you might say that," Reyna said.

Astrid raised an eyebrow, but only said, "Well, good. Come on, let's go. You're really going to like it here. I promise. Welcome to the legion!"


	3. Part III

Some months passed. Reyna trained with her cohort and learned the ropes of the Roman camp with Astrid's help. She found she enjoyed it at camp: she was learning to be a warrior, she was making friends, and despite the taxing nature of life in the legion, she was having fun.

One afternoon, Reyna practiced with the _pilum_, a two-meter-long javelin that resembled a spear, along with several other campers. She found she liked long-range weapons the best; though swords worked and knives were very handy, there was something about wielding _pila _and spears that made her feel powerful.

At the end of practice, Reyna joined Astrid and the other campers at the benches to remove their helmets and get some water.

As Reyna drank from her water bottle, she saw Jason Grace and a few of his friends from the Fifth Cohort pass. She wouldn't have thought much of it, but Jason paused as he passed her.

"Hey, Reyna," Jason said. "Great job today."

Reyna eyed him suspiciously, but he just gave her a cheerful wave and left the arena with his friends.

_What was that about? _she wondered as she put away her practice _pilum_.

Astrid nudged Reyna, her elbow guard clanking against Reyna's breastplate. "Heads up," she said. "I think Jason likes you."

"Stop it," Reyna said, blushing slightly. "We don't even talk that much."

"Hey, I call it like I see it," Astrid said. She lifted her ponytail and fanned the back of her neck. "But for now, let's hit the _frigidarium. _I'm melting out here."

Reyna couldn't disagree with Astrid there, so she joined her friend as they trekked across New Rome to the bathhouse. Still, she couldn't help but turn the brief encounter over in the back of her mind. And though she would never admit it, Jason's compliment warmed her stomach, just a little bit.

Before Reyna knew it, her year on _probatio _finished and she stood ready to become a full member of the legion. She stood before the senate, beside Octavian. Felicia had officially taken away her _probatio _plate, and all that remained now was ceremony.

Octavian passed his hand over her arm. "Reyna, daughter of Bellona, first year of service!" he called. Reyna's forearm burned, more strongly than she'd expected, but she bit the inside of her cheek and refused to show how much it hurt. _You are a true Roman now. Act like it. Be strong._

The ceremony over, several campers and members of the senate wandered over to offer their congratulations. Reyna, breathless but smiling by the end of it, felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to face Octavian, who held out his hand to her. Apprehensive but unsure of how to refuse him, Reyna shook it.

Octavian gripped her hand tightly. A year ago, it might have made her wince, or at the very least grimace. But that was before Reyna had become a member of the Roman legion, and Roman legionaries did not flinch. Not for anything.

"Congratulations," he said, staring into her eyes.

"Thank you," she said, meeting his gaze without balking. The unstable look hadn't faded in the year she'd been on _probatio. _

"I have a feeling you're going to change this camp," he went on, still grasping her hand.

Reyna was beginning to feel uneasy, but she pushed it aside. "Another prophecy of yours, Octavian?"

He frowned slightly and let go of her hand. She resisted the urge to wipe it on her jeans with some difficulty.

"No," he said. "Just a sense. I'm not sure how to describe it."

Reyna eyed him warily. "Yes, well…thank you for sharing. I'll keep that in mind."

Octavian melted back into the crowd and Reyna stood alone for a moment, unsettled. Then Astrid came up behind her and wrapped her arms around Reyna in a bear hug.

"You did it!" the blonde girl squealed. "Congratulations, legionnaire!"

Reyna laughed. "Thanks," she said. "Wow, I can't believe it's been a year already."

"Me either." Astrid let her go and beamed at her. "Come on, let's get back to the barracks. I know they'll want to congratulate you in person."

Astrid was right: the moment Reyna stepped through the door of the Third Cohort's barracks, a cheer erupted. Hannah and Marcus, the Third Cohort's other centurion, shook Reyna's hand and personally congratulated her. The other legionnaires in the cohort, too, expressed their happiness at her promotion to a full member of the legion. Reyna didn't think she'd ever felt more at home.

Once the general clamor died down, Marcus ordered lights-out. Lying in her bunk, Reyna traced the new tattoos on her arm—a crossed sword and torch with a single line underneath—with a fingertip. She liked the way they stood out on her skin, bold and strong. She also liked how they announced her heritage to everyone—_I am a daughter of Bellona, goddess of war, and I am proud of that fact. _Reyna couldn't wait to see what the next years in the legion might bring.

A few weeks after Reyna's fifteenth birthday, the praetor Felicia stepped down. She'd served her years, she said, and now she wanted to go to the university in New Rome. The Feast of Fortuna was coming up shortly, and elections would be held then.

The camp buzzed with the news. There were a few campers who were expected to be elected and would definitely be considered, but no one knew for sure what the senate would decide.

A few days after the announcement, Reyna and Astrid sat in the Third Cohort's barracks, removing their armor after the war games and chatting, when Marcus stepped in and interrupted their conversation.

"Reyna, I've been asked to tell you that you've been called to appear before the senate," he said.

Reyna glanced at Astrid, who shrugged. "Do you know why?" Reyna asked.

Marcus shook his head. "Just clean yourself up and get over there," he said before walking out of the barracks.

"What did you do?" Astrid asked.

"I don't know. Nothing, I think." Reyna undid her braid, which was falling apart, and redid it, thinking.

Astrid clapped her on the shoulder. "Well, good luck," she said seriously. "I'll make an offering at my great-grandad's temple. Maybe he'll help make sure you come back alive."

"Stop it," Reyna said, making Astrid laugh. "I'll see you soon."

"You'd better tell me everything," Astrid said as Reyna walked out of the barracks and toward the Senate House.

Not having been at camp long enough to become a senator, Reyna had never been inside the Senate House. It looked like a classic Roman amphitheater, with rows of tiered benches rising in a circle around the floor. All those senators staring at her made Reyna nervous, but she stepped forward and faced Octavian and Lucas with nary a waver.

"I was summoned?" she said.

"Yes," Octavian said. "We have good news for you."

Lucas cleared his throat as if to remind Octavian who was in charge. Then he said, "The senate has elected you, Reyna, as praetor of the Twelfth Legion _Fulminata_."

For a moment, Reyna thought her ears were playing tricks on her. Then she straightened. She had no reason to question the senate's decision. She'd earned this position, and she would live up to it.

"I accept the will of the senate with gratitude," she said.

Lucas, grinning, embraced her and handed her an eagle medal and a purple cloak, symbols of her new office. "You've earned these, Reyna," he said. "Wear them with honor."

"Thank you," Reyna said. "Um, _gratias._"

"_Libenter_," Lucas said. "You'll move into one of the praetor's houses, by the way, so you'll want to go pack your things."

"I will. Again, thank you." She turned to the senate and inclined her head.

"Here." Lucas took her purple cloak and helped her arrange it over her t-shirt and jeans, pinning it at the shoulder with the eagle medal. "And just as some praetor-ly advice…it looks even more impressive if you wear it over your armor," he added in her ear, making her smile.

Reyna paused before the door of the Senate to straighten her cloak and relax her shoulders. She was a praetor of New Rome now, and she thought she should practice her presentation before everyone found out.

However, she never really got the chance. Somehow, word of the election had gotten out and what seemed like half the camp waited outside the Senate House when Reyna exited, ready to offer their congratulations. Reyna shook more hands and accepted more pats on the back than she could count. She was a little dazed by the time Astrid found her.

Astrid grinned at Reyna before she pulled her friend into a bear hug. "I'm so happy for you! You're going to make a great praetor."

"Thanks, but…do you really think so?" Reyna asked, a little worried.

"Of course! They wouldn't have elected you if you weren't a good choice." Astrid beamed. "You'll do great. Just don't forget us plebeians when you're kicking around in the _principia_, all right?"

"Never," Reyna said. "I'll miss bunking under you."

"Same. Even if you snored sometimes."

"I do not _snore_!" Reyna shoved Astrid's shoulder. Her friend bounced away, laughing.

"Sure, sure," Astrid said with a wink. "Of course not. Praetors never snore."

"You—" Reyna couldn't even think of an insult, making Astrid's grin even wider.

After all the congratulations and general hubbub died down, Reyna went back to the Third Cohort's barracks to pack her things. She would live on the Via Principalis now, in one of the praetor's houses. The thought made her a little sad. She'd lived with these people for over three years, fighting and eating and laughing. They'd become like a second family to her, and now she had to leave.

_It's not for good, you idiot, _she thought firmly. _You'll still see them around camp. You'll still train with them at times. Stop acting like you're never going to see them again. _

"Hey, Reyna," a voice behind her said, interrupting her thoughts. She turned to see Jason standing in the doorway of the barracks. "I heard about your promotion," he went on. "Congrats."

"Oh…thank you." She frowned slightly. "Wait, what are you doing in here? You're not in the Third Cohort."

"Yeah, I know," Jason said. "I just wanted to commend you in person. I know I'm a little late, but I figured you'd be a little overwhelmed."

"Yeah, you're right. Um, thanks. For thinking of that." _You sound like a fool, _she mentally scolded herself.

"Sure." There was a pause, and then Jason said, "Well, I should be going. I'll see you around."

"Yes, of course. Stay out of trouble." _What prompted you to say that? _

He gave her a slightly crooked smile. "Will do, m'lady praetor," he said, and left.

Reyna leaned against the bunk for a moment, collecting herself. Then she shouldered her pack and walked down to the Via Principalis.

Aurum and Argentum greeted her nearly the second she walked through the door of the _principia. _They circled around her as if checking her scent, and Reyna was reminded of her first meeting with Lupa. Tentatively, Reyna reached out a hand to them. They nosed at her fingers and, seemingly satisfied, walked back to their plinths.

"Hey, welcome to the _principia_," Lucas, seated sideways in one of the chairs, said. "You'll be spending more time here than anywhere else, so I hope you like it."

"Of course I like it," Reyna said. She enjoyed the studiousness of all the scrolls, laptops, and maps scattered around, as well as the _Romanness _of the place—the marble, the military symbols. As a daughter of Bellona, this was a haven for her.

"Good," he said. He swung his legs around, sat up, and stretched. Then he added, "You can turn in now if you'd like. I know you're probably tired—it's been an exciting day."

"It has," Reyna agreed. "And thank you again. For everything." She turned to go.

"One thing, Reyna," Lucas called after her.

Reyna turned and waited, wondering what he had to tell her that couldn't wait until morning.

"Between you and me," he said, "I actually won't be sticking around much longer, either. So be prepared to work on your own for a little while until someone else is elected, okay?"

Reyna was taken aback. "But you're such a good praetor," she said. "Why would you leave?"

Lucas laughed. "Thanks," he said. "But, hey, I figure it's my time to go. The _principia _needs to see some new blood anyway."

Reyna knew that Octavian would pitch his bid in for praetor as soon as he heard Lucas was stepping down. She had to respect his drive for power, though she also thought it might be less of a drive and more of a greed. And greed for power rarely ended well in Rome.

"Thanks for the warning," she said.

Lucas nodded. "Of course." Reyna didn't know if he knew what she was thinking, but she had a suspicion he might. Lucas was a perceptive sort; not much escaped him, though he hid it under his lighthearted, easygoing nature.

"Well, go on to bed," he said after a moment's pause. "In the morning, I'll help you get all settled in to the praetor's life. It may look fun, but I promise it's a lot of work."

Reyna smiled at that. "_Bonum noctem,_" she said.

"And _bonum noctem _to you too. Sleep well."

When Reyna curled up under the covers of her new bed, she realized it was the first time she'd ever slept alone. On Aeaea, she'd shared a room with her sister and some of the other attendants. Here, of course, she'd bunked with the Third Cohort. Never in her life had she had entire room to herself, slept without the sounds of breathing and quiet shuffling around her. The thought was both liberating and lonely.

Lucas stepped down a week or so later, announcing he wanted to go out into the world and see what it had to offer him. It was an unusual and sometimes dangerous choice for ex-legionaries, but it was his decision to make and no one tried to stop him.

One afternoon, Reyna studied a pile of scouts' reports at the table when she heard someone approach the doors of the _principia. _She looked up to see Jason step inside.

"Jason Grace," Reyna said, careful to keep her voice neutral. "To what do I owe this visit?"

"There's something I think you should see," he said.

Reyna frowned. "Is something wrong?"

Jason grinned. "Not at all," he said. "But hurry. It's down in the unicorn pasture."

Reyna followed Jason out of the _principia _and jogged down to the unicorn pasture, alight with curiosity. When the field came into view, however, she stopped short in wonder.

A beautiful golden-brown pegasus stamped in the paddock, snorting. Reyna didn't waste any time in opening the gate and walking over to it, scratching its withers.

"Oh, you're beautiful," she whispered. "I never knew pegasii were real."

Jason entered the pasture as well and leaned against the fence, watching Reyna with a small smile on his face.

"What's this about, then?" Reyna asked, turning to him.

Jason shrugged. "He was just in the paddock this morning. He had this around his neck." He handed her a medallion on a long chain.

Reyna looked at the circular pendant and bit her lip to hide a smile. Embossed on the iron medallion was a crossed sword and torch. The pegasus was a gift from her mother.

She curled her fingers around the medallion and looked skyward. "Thanks, Mom," she whispered.

"What are you going to name him?" Jason wanted to know.

"I don't know," Reyna said, looking her new pegasus over. "Something proud and warlike, I think, to honor my mother."

"Skippy," Jason suggested, as though he hadn't heard a word she said. "He's the same color as peanut butter."

Reyna glared at him. "'Skippy' is hardly a noble or fierce name," she said. She considered a moment. "What about Scipio? After Scipio Africanus, the Roman general."

"Does this mean I get to call him Skippy after all?"

Reyna sighed. "If you must."

A corner of Jason's mouth twitched, though he didn't say anything.

"Well, thank you for informing me," Reyna said.

"Sure, no problem. I'll see you around." He turned and jogged off.

Reyna stroked her new pegasus's neck, thinking about how useful he'd be in battle. Her mother had chosen the gift well, and she was grateful. She refused to wonder why Jason had taken it upon himself to tell her about Scipio.

_It was duty, _she told herself. _Duty to his praetor, and nothing more. _Maybe if she said it enough, she would believe it.

Reyna sat in the _principia _one day, idly examining a map of New Rome. Some campers had brought up the idea of adding a _circus _to the place, and she needed to see if they had room for one before looking into anything else.

Aurora, one of the scouts on duty, burst into the _principia. _"We're being invaded!"

Reyna stood up quickly. "What?"

"Yes—a horde of gryphons is descending on the camp. What are your orders?"

"Gather the cohorts. Tell everyone to armor up and prepare for battle—stat."

Once Aurora had left, Reyna made sure her armor was securely fastened and her knife and sword in place before grabbing her spear and running outside. Someone had already saddled Scipio for her, and he stood stamping and snorting outside the stables. Reyna swung up onto his back and brandished her spear, kicking him into a gallop.

By the time she arrived at the Field of Mars, the cohorts were arrayed and awaiting her orders. Reyna reined Scipio in before the Twelfth Legion.

"Archers at the ready!" she shouted. "Camp on the high places and shoot them out of the sky! Legionaries! Brace on the ground—turtle formation. Use your _pila _and bring them down! First, Third, and Fourth Cohorts will meet the first wave. Second and Fifth will brace and wait to reinforce and pick off the stragglers. Understood?"

The campers shouted in response.

"Move out!"

The legion marched to obey her orders, and Reyna felt a rush of pride. This was her camp, her legion, fighting as one like they'd been trained. It was a moving sight.

"Reyna!" Anthony, a centurion for the Third Cohort, called. "What will you do?"

Reyna twirled her spear over her head. "I'm taking to the sky," she answered. "I'm going to meet them one-on-one." She nudged Scipio with her heels and took off.

The first few gryphons she met were easy to defeat—they weren't expecting a head-on attack. She stabbed them with her spear, staying well out of range of their beaks and claws. Scipio responded to her lightest touch, veering left and right to avoid attacks or arrows from the Roman archers.

Things started going slightly south when a dying gryphon managed to yank Reyna's spear out of her hands. She didn't have much time for dismay, though, so she drew her sword and forged on.

Below her, the legion braced with shields locked, bursting upward in a flurry of spears and _pila _when a gryphon flew near. Those with good aim threw their spears as well when gryphons flew within range, taking some out before they were within striking distance.

Reyna urged Scipio lower when she realized the wave of attacking gryphons had localized their attacks on the less-defended archers. Though it was much more difficult to dodge the arrows this close, she helped as best she could until one of the archers yelled to get her attention and pointed toward the ground-based legion.

Reyna wheeled Scipio in midair and immediately saw the problem: the gryphons had managed to divide the Third and Fourth Cohorts, making the locked shield wall much less intimidating. She swooped in; attempting to drive the gryphons down toward the legions' spears as much as kill them herself.

"Reyna!" she heard someone shout. "Give me a hand up!"

Reyna didn't even pause to think about it. She reached down and swung Jason up behind her on Scipio, then urged the pegasus skyward.

Jason, mercifully, had abandoned his heavy shield, but Reyna could still feel Scipio shifting under the weight of two teenagers in full Imperial gold armor plus weaponry. She resolved to give the pegasus a good rubdown and some sugarcubes once the battle was over.

"Watch out!" Jason warned, but it came slightly too late. Reyna turned with sword drawn, but the gryphon was already upon her, slashing her arm with its talons. Reyna gasped and almost dropped her sword, but managed to keep her grip on it.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked, sounding concerned.

"I'm fine," Reyna said grimly, painfully transferring her sword to her other hand. For once, she was glad the trainers made them learn to fight ambidextrously. "Stay focused."

She felt the weight behind her shift and Scipio dropped slightly before he was able to compensate and straighten out once more.

"What are you doing?" Reyna shouted over her shoulder. She risked a glance behind her to see Jason sitting _backwards _on Scipio, holding on with just his legs as he fended off gryphons attacking from the rear. _Is he insane?_

"Just trust me!" he shouted back. "I've got this!" He thrust Ivlivs—Reyna remembered his weapon was magic; both a sword and a lance—up through a gryphon's throat, causing it to dissolve into dust.

_He is insane, _Reyna decided. _But…pretty brilliant, I suppose. _She slashed the primary feathers off an nearby gryphon's wing, making it screech in pain and spiral down to where the legion waited to impale it.

Jason's weight suddenly shifted again, so much that Scipio's rump dipped a foot or so—and then, suddenly, it was gone. Reyna wheeled Scipio around, thinking Jason had fallen off—but no. With a yell, he fell several feet, landed on the last gryphon's back, and stabbed it through. With a screech, it dissolved into dust. He'd jumped from Scipio's back onto the gryphon's to slay it, though he apparently hadn't thought very far ahead.

"Jason!" Reyna shouted, thinking he'd fall the rest of the way—if not to his death, then certainly to very serious injury. But instead, he floated gently down, landing on the ground with a soft thud. Reyna was momentarily baffled until she realized that, as a son of Jupiter, he must have control over the winds.

The battle was over. The Twelfth Legion had prevailed.

It felt suddenly very quiet as Reyna guided Scipio to land beside where Jason stood, looking shaky and covered in dirt and monster dust. The legion stared at him, weapons lowered. Jason stared back, looking confused and a little exhausted.

Then someone started up banging their shield on the ground. Another joined them, and another, until the entire Twelfth Legion struck the ground in a unified rhythm, cheering Jason's name. They converged on him, lifting him on one of the shields—the greatest honor any Roman could receive in battle.

The campers chanted, "Praetor! Praetor!" as they carried Jason around on the shield. Reyna caught a glimpse of his face, happy disbelief mixed with pride. She reached out and gripped his hand in congratulations. In the Roman legion, comrade consensus was enough to elevate someone in the ranks. Jason was a praetor of New Rome now, and her co-leader.

Reyna was proud of him, and also relieved Octavian hadn't gotten a chance to persuade the senate to vote for him. Mixed in with these feelings, though, was a sense of apprehension. She and Jason would be working very closely now. How did she feel about that?

_Admit it, _a voice in her mind whispered. _You're just as happy about that as you are about Octavian not getting the praetorship. _

Reyna shook her head to clear it. She couldn't afford those kind of thoughts. After all, she liked Jason as a friend. Just a friend, and nothing more.

Later that evening, in the _principia, _Reyna watched Jason carefully, trying to gauge his mood. She had a stack of reports in front of her that she could look at if he glanced at her.

At length, Reyna spoke up. "Congratulations on your praetorship."

"Thanks," he said absently. Reyna noticed he was playing with his coin, palming it over and over again and running his thumb over its surface. "It's kind of crazy, you know? I always thought Octavian would be the next praetor."

Reyna stiffened slightly at the thought. Octavian was persuasive and a good leader, to be sure, but his hunger for power made even her a little nervous. "Well, I guess the camp thought you were a better choice."

Aurum brushed against her side and she, out of habit, laid a hand on its golden head. Jason eyed the metal dog but didn't say anything. He didn't have to; Reyna knew her dogs made a lot of the campers nervous. People felt threatened when they knew they couldn't lie. Octavian in particular tried to avoid Aurum and Argentum at all costs. It didn't make Reyna trust him much, though she couldn't really blame him.

Jason pocketed Ivlivs. "So where do I sleep?" he asked.

Reyna gestured out the door. "In one of the praetor's houses across the way. I have my quarters, and you have yours. You'll be the only one who has a key, of course. You'll find it on your pillow." She turned her attention back to the reports.

"Oh. Well, thanks." He waited for a minute, perhaps for her to speak. Then he said, "I guess I'll turn in."

"Mm."

A hand touched Reyna's shoulder and she turned to meet Jason's eyes. "Good night," he said. "I'll see you the morning."

"Right," Reyna said, taken aback by his familiarity. "Um, good night."

He gave her a smile and headed for the door. Reyna just sat there, holding her forgotten reports and wondering what she was getting into.


	4. Part IV

Jason turned out to be a natural leader—far better than Reyna dared hope. The campers liked him and trusted his judgment, and so did Reyna. She found herself relaxing slightly as the days passed and Jason helped her shoulder the burden of running the camp. Octavian, who had been hinting he wanted the vacated praetor's chair, eased off her too, for which she was grateful.

"So how're things up in the _principia_?" Astrid asked Reyna one afternoon as they polished their weapons—Reyna her spear and Astrid her sword.

"Interesting," Reyna said. "I mean, it's certainly a lot of work running the camp, but it's honestly not as bad as you might think."

"Still not for me," Astrid said. "I'm perfectly happy grubbing in the mud with the rest of the legion, thanks. At least it means I won't get stabbed on the senate floor."

"No one's going to get stabbed, Astrid."

"I bet that's what Julius Caesar thought," Astrid said, but she was smiling. "Tell me, is it fun terrorizing the new campers?"

"I do not _terrorize _them," Reyna sniffed.

"Newsflash: yes, you do. Seeing you two sit there with Aurum and Argentum all snarly beside you is a sight to behold." Astrid gave her friend a sly smile. "And speaking of Jason…"

Reyna threw a polishing cloth at her. "We're not having this conversation," she said firmly. "I have more important things to think about."

"All right, all right, fine," Astrid said. "But don't think I'll give up that easily. One of these days, you and Jason will ride Scipio off into the sunset and leave us Romans to our own devices."

Reyna stood. "That's unlikely, but speaking of Scipio, I have to go exercise him," she said. "Want to come with?"

"I've got shield practice in a few minutes with the rest of the Second," Astrid said. "But thanks. Give Skippy my regards."

"Will do," Reyna said.

When she went down to Scipio's paddock, though, someone was waiting for her. Jason leaned against the fence, watching the pegasus crop at the grass.

"What are you doing here?" Reyna asked.

"Hm? Oh, nothing. Just looking at Skippy." He glanced at her, his expression far less serious than it usually was. His blue eyes glittered with mischief and a grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Reyna was strongly reminded of the conversation she'd had with Astrid not ten minutes ago and her comment about riding off into the sunset. "All right, I'll bite," Reyna said. "What's on your mind?"

"I was just thinking," Jason said, idly tossing Ivlivs from hand to hand. "We've been working hard lately."

"And?"

Jason grinned at her. "How about we take a personal day?"

Twenty minutes later, Reyna clung to Scipio's mane with Jason behind her, arms around her waist. They were currently over some sort of desert, having left California some time ago.

"Where are we going?" Jason half-shouted over the wind.

"I'm not sure," Reyna said. "We'll know when we get there."

Several hours later, after Reyna's tailbone had gone numb, Scipio touched down in a grassy park. As Reyna and Jason slid stiffly off his back, he shook his mane and began cropping grass.

"Where are we?" Jason whispered, said.

"We're in South Carolina," Reyna, who had spotted a sign proclaiming the nearest city Charleston, said. "The Battery, I think it's called."

"But why here?"

"Scipio must have thought it was important," Reyna said. "And…I don't know. Didn't you feel like you were being pushed this way?"

"Maybe a little," Jason admitted. "I wonder why, though?"

"I guess we'll find—"

Jason's hand on her arm stopped her. She looked at him quizzically and he lifted a finger to his lips, then pointed to her left. Reyna turned slowly to see a glowing figure standing a few yards away. It was a woman, dressed like a Civil-War-era southern belle. She seemed to be watching them.

"What is that?"

"It looks like a…a ghost or something," Jason whispered. He looked at Reyna. "Should we follow it?"

"Why not?" Reyna put a hand on her dagger and Jason slid his hand in his pocket for Ivlivs. Together, they crept toward the woman.

Even though they moved stealthily, the apparition turned and spotted them. She was still too far away to read her expression, and she drifted still further as they approached. Try as they might, they couldn't close the distance between them and her. Every time they thought they were making progress, she'd vanish and reappear several yards away. The ghost woman didn't, however, disappear for good. Reyna couldn't help but think she wanted to speak to them, but she and Jason weren't going about it right.

After several minutes, Jason stopped. "We're not making any progress," he said, sounding frustrated. "I don't think she wants to be caught."

"Wait," Reyna said. "Maybe I should go alone. Maybe she'll only talk to a girl."

Jason frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea. What if she's hostile?"

"I don't think she is. Besides, I can handle myself."

Jason's mouth twisted. "All right," he said. "Just—just be careful, okay?"

"Of course," Reyna said. She gave him a slight smile, unsheathed her dagger, and walked toward the ghostly woman.

Now that Reyna was alone, the woman stopped moving and turned toward her. She waited as Reyna approached.

The woman smiled at her. "Reyna," she said. "I've waited so long to meet you."

Reyna wasn't sure she liked the sound of that. Still, she sheathed her dagger and said politely, "It seemed to us like you had something you wanted to share. Is that true?"

The woman considered this. "I supposed it is, yes," she said. "But do you know who I am, dear?"

Reyna was about to say she had no idea, but then she realized the woman's features had shifted slightly since they'd gotten within eyeshot of each other. She'd been beautiful before, but now she was even lovelier. Reyna could think of only one being who had that particular power.

"Venus?" she said tentatively.

The woman—well, goddess, Reyna supposed—smiled. "Sometimes," she said. "But you can call me that if you wish. Now, let's sit down and have a little chat, hm?"

"I can't really," Reyna said. "I have to get back to my—my friend."

"Mm," Venus said. "Jason Grace, isn't it?"

Reyna stilled. "How do you know his name?"

The goddess gave her a half-amused, half-pitying look. "It's my business to know the names of people like him, dear."

"Like him?" Reyna said before she could catch herself. Despite her wariness, she was curious.

"Mm." Venus adjusted her voluminous skirts, even though Reyna couldn't see anything wrong with them. "I'm going to give you some advice—and a warning. Be careful with your heart, my dear. If you throw it around like it's worthless, it's going to come back to you damaged."

"What does that mean?"

"And Jason Grace…oh, so many things I could say about him. So many things I _can't _say about him. But I can tell you this: he'll leave you someday. He'll come back—oh, of course he'll come back—but he won't be the same. And he'll bring great changes with him, changes that will shake the very foundation of Rome and the camp you two call home."

Reyna's head was spinning. "I don't understand."

Venus gave her a sympathetic smile. "You will someday soon, dear. Now, I must be off. I have duties to attend to, you know. Remember what I told you today."

"Wait!" Reyna said, but the goddess had already faded from sight.

Reyna stood in the now-empty park, staring at the spot where the goddess had been. After a few minutes, she realized she was shaking. She didn't know what the goddess's message meant, but she knew she didn't like it. She breathed deeply, trying to steady herself. She had to return to Jason. They had to get back to camp. If Venus's message came true, so be it. She'd deal with it when—_if_—it happened.

Reyna made her way back to Jason and Scipio, head spinning. "Let's get out of here," she said, taking hold of Scipio's mane to pull herself onto his back.

"What did she have to say?" Jason asked.

Reyna didn't look at him. "Nothing. It's not important."

"Are you sure? You look…odd."

"I'm sure. Come on, we should head back." Reyna swung up onto Scipio without waiting for a response. After a pause, Jason followed suit, settling behind her. Reyna nudged her pegasus with her heels and soon they were airborne, Charleston receding far below them.

All the way back, Venus's message echoed in Reyna's mind: _he will leave you…he will bring changes that will shake the very foundation of Rome. _But Jason was loyal to Camp Jupiter. He would never do anything to endanger it…would he?

"Reyna, are you sure you're okay?" Jason's voice cut through her thoughts.

She shook herself. "I'm fine. I promise."

The first thing Reyna did when they arrived back at camp was get a piece of paper and write down what Venus had told her, word for word. Then she folded the paper and set it inside her nightstand, resolving not to let it unsettle her. If it came true, so be it. She'd deal with it if it happened. Until then, there was nothing she could do.

A week or so later, Reyna and Astrid lounged in the baths, soaking in the steam of the _caldarium. _

"Tell me again," Astrid said, eyes closed in concentration.

"I've told you everything already," Reyna said. Then she sighed and said, "We wound up in Charleston, in this park called the Battery. This ghostly woman was there, but she wouldn't let us get close to her until I went alone."

"And she turned out to be the goddess Venus?" Astrid asked, frowning.

"Yep. And she told me Jason would leave someday and come back with changes big enough to shake the foundations of New Rome. Oh, and she also told me to be careful with my heart, or it would get damaged."

Astrid wrinkled her nose. "Weird."

"You're telling me." Reyna tipped her head back to wet her hair. "I don't understand what I'm supposed to do with that information. Was it a prophecy? Just a warning?"

"And you haven't told Jason yet?"

"I don't really…see a reason to," Reyna said hesitantly. "I don't want to worry him."

"Uh-_huh_." Astrid didn't look like she believed Reyna. "Well, if you're worried it's a prophecy, you could always ask our augur about it."

"_No_," Reyna said, so empathetically that Astrid looked a little alarmed. "I mean, I don't think that's necessary." Reyna had to remind herself that not everyone at camp shared her general distrust of Octavian. "I'm sure Octavian's busy with his duties."

"I think his duties include deciphering messages from the gods, or I've got him pegged all wrong," Astrid said, watching Reyna curiously.

"Yes, well…I'll think about it," Reyna said evasively.

"Hm," Astrid said, still studying her friend. "Well, if you say so."

Reyna hated it when Astrid looked at her like that; it was like she was x-raying Reyna. The praetor had a feeling her friend knew—or at least had a good suspicion—about how she felt toward, well, everything.

"Don't worry about it right now," Astrid said, as though sensing Reyna's discomfort. "We're in the baths, hon. Tension is not allowed in Roman baths."

Reyna grinned and sank down to her chin in the water. Astrid was right: there was no point in fretting anymore. If something was going to happen, it would happen. And like she'd promised herself, she wouldn't worry until it did—_if _it did.

Several days later, Reyna was at the stables, grooming Scipio. She thoroughly enjoyed caring for her pegasus, almost as much as he enjoyed it. It was relaxing—almost therapeutic—for them both. She stroked Scipio's velvety nose. Being around the pegasus always helped center her and clear her head, even after her most unsettling days. Reyna had a sneaking suspicion that her mother knew this when she'd given Scipio to her daughter.

"I barely know what's going on anymore," she whispered, leaning her forehead against Scipio's sleek neck.

Scipio nosed at the end of her braid but didn't give an answer, not that she'd been expecting one. With a sigh, she pulled away from the pegasus and tossed the brush she'd been using into his grooming bucket. His coat gleamed already; any further brushing would be redundant. She had duties she had to attend to, though most of them involved working with Jason and she wasn't sure she was quite ready for that.

"Give me a wing," she said.

Scipio extended one of his wings for her to inspect. She picked a few twigs out of his secondary feathers and brushed some dirt off his primaries.

"Other one."

"You know, I never thought about grooming a pegasus's wings," someone said behind her.

Reyna jumped, startling Scipio, who pulled his wing from her hands and danced in place a little. Reyna laid a hand on his neck to soothe him and turned to face Jason. "What did you say?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." He put a hand out toward Scipio. "Hey, Skippy."

Scipio lipped at Jason's palm. Upon discovering he didn't have any food, the pegasus snorted and proceeded to ignore him.

"What are you doing here?" Reyna asked.

"Looking for you."

Reyna raised an eyebrow. "What for?"

He shrugged. "Just wondering where you'd gotten to."

"Well, you found me." Reyna knew she sounded curt, but she couldn't help it. Ever since Charleston, she couldn't look at Jason the same. She felt like she didn't really know him—like she never had. And that hurt. "What is it?"

Jason raised an eyebrow and Reyna knew her tone had been noted. "Can't I want to hang out with my fellow praetor anymore? Just for fun?" His voice was light, teasing, but there was a serious note to it that told Reyna he wasn't really joking around.

She sighed. "I'm sorry. I've just been busy lately—there's a lot going on."

"Mm," Jason said. He laid a hand beside her head and she was suddenly aware of just how _close _he was.

"You've got horse hair on your lip," he said. "Kissed Skippy recently?"

"Where?" Reyna said, reaching up to brush it away.

Before her hand reached her mouth, Jason's thumb touched her lower lip. Reyna's breath caught in her throat and she slowly raised her gaze to meet Jason's.

"Got it," he said quietly.

"Thank you," Reyna said. Her mind warned her to leave before either of them did something she would regret later. "I should go," she said, sliding to her open side. "There are things I should attend to."

"Do you want help with these…things?" Jason asked.

Reyna could see the earnestness in his expression. He wanted to help her. He wanted to be with her. But she still shied away. "I should be fine. And besides, don't you have your own duties to handle?"

"We're supposed to run the camp together, Reyna," he reminded her gently. "Together as in working together. On everything."

"I know," she said. "But sometimes that means working apart, doesn't it? That's the whole point—to share the burden."

Jason fingered the scar on his upper lip—another habit of his. "If you say so," he said finally. "I'll see you later then, I guess."

"Mm," Reyna said. Her demeanor was noncommittal, but all the same, she watched Jason walk away until he turned a corner and disappeared from sight.

* * *

**I swear it didn't sound this shippy in my head. **

**Also, this was supposed to be the second-to-last chapter, but then one of you lovely reviewers mentioned the Titan War, which I, er, completely forgot about. So this is the ****_third-_****to-last chapter, and that I can say with utmost confidence.**


	5. Part V

**A/N: *casually pretends that I didn't totally forget the Titan War was a thing that happened* *also offers this chapter with deepest apologies at the crappy first attempt I gave you***

* * *

Reyna had hoped for a relatively quiet praetorship, but Fortuna decreed otherwise. News began trickling in about a Titan uprising against the gods—a second Olympian war.

Reyna didn't believe it at first. The Titans had been vanquished eons ago. How would they manage to resurrect now? The gods would never stand for it. But then the whispers became solid news reports, and more and more kept coming. Reyna finally had to accept the facts when a scouting party returned with the news that there was heightened activity on Mount Tamalpais.

Reyna called a meeting of the centurions to discuss the matter. "Something's happening," she said, pacing around the _principia. _

"It's Mount Othrys," Gwen said grimly. "They're rebuilding the Titan base on Mount Tam. This is bad."

"You have a gift for understatement," Dakota muttered.

"We have to attack," Octavian said. "There's no other option."

Reyna knew the whole point of Camp Jupiter being in San Francisco was to keep an eye on the Titan stronghold. She still wasn't sure she liked the idea of confronting the Titans head-on.

"Hold on a minute," she said, holding up a hand. "Maybe we should—"

"Octavian's right," Jason said unexpectedly, surprising Reyna and probably everyone else in the room. "We need to launch an assault on the stronghold, see if we can't cut them off at their base. It's our best option."

Marcus glanced at Reyna. "Are you sure?"

"I—"

"Jason will lead us, of course," Octavian said. Reyna glared at him, but he ignored her. "After all, you are our praetor, the commander of the legion. It's only right."

"So we attack the Titan stronghold," Julian, centurion for the Fourth Legion, said. "What then? We don't know what'll be facing us."

"So maybe we should—" Reyna tried, but was cut off again by Octavian.

"We'll just have to be prepared for anything," the augur said. "We're Romans, after all. The Twelfth Legion can subdue anything."

Caitlyn, centurion for the Third Legion, frowned at Octavian. "I think you're forgetting that we might have to face down _Titans_. It's not exactly an easy task."

"Caitlyn has—" Reyna began.

"But we can do it," Jason interrupted. "It won't be easy, but we're the Twelfth Legion _Fulminata. _The gods will be on our side. Besides, we have to do it to protect the mortal world. That's our job, isn't it?"

"Precisely," Octavian said. "So I propose—"

"Excuse me," Reyna said loudly, causing everyone to look at her. "Jason and I will discuss this in private," she continued firmly before anyone else could interrupt. "We will inform you of our decision shortly. Thank you."

Gwen gave her a curious look as she exited the _principia, _but Reyna kept her chin up and refused to acknowledge anything, even Octavian's somewhat smug expression—much as she wanted to.

Once the centurions were gone, Reyna leaned against the windowsill, feeling weary to her bones. Half her camp wanted to embark on a dangerous assault that would most likely result in the deaths of most of the legion. She couldn't bear to think about it. "I'm not sure about this," she said. "I don't think you should lead the legion to Mount Othrys."

"We have to do something," Jason said.

"But _what_?" Reyna said, whirling around. "They're _Titans_, Jason. They gave birth to the _gods_. We can't attack them. It's suicide."

"We have to try," he said firmly.

"I won't let you. Your leadership is needed here."

"You don't outrank me," he said quietly. "You can't order me not to do something. I'm a praetor just like you, and I'm going to lead the Twelfth Legion in an assault on Mount Othrys."

"So you're just going to take the legion and try to fight Crius? And you think you'll be successful?"

"I do," he said, chin raised slightly. Reyna found herself mimicking the gesture, if only because she refused to let him out-stubborn her. "We have to do this. We're heroes, Reyna. Defending against threats like this is our job."

"There's a difference between being a hero and being reckless," she argued. "We should wait for direction from the gods and see what they want us to do."

"Do you think they'll care enough to give us orders? And besides, they're busy enough defending themselves from the uprising. We have to act on our own."

"Fine then. _Fine. _Go charge off to play the hero. I just hope you remember the two hundred Romans under your command who'll you'll be leading to their deaths."

"At least I'm not too much of a coward to do my duty as a Roman and face the threats against us."

They glared at each other. Reyna was stung by his words, but she refused to let him know. She could be just as hardheaded as any son of Jupiter.

"Fine," she said, as icily as she could manage. "The legion will march on Mount Othrys, if that's what you want. But I cannot agree with this."

There was a long, tense pause. Then Jason said quietly, "You know we have to do this."

Reyna didn't answer him at first. At length, she said, "Tell the centurions we set out tomorrow morning. Tonight will be dedicated to preparing for the battle."

"Reyna—"

"That goes for you, too. I have things to attend to." Reyna left the _principia _and headed for her praetor house. Along the way, she got one of the _aurae _to deliver a message to Astrid, asking her to come visit. Astrid arrived within minutes.

Astrid sat in Reyna's reading chair while Reyna collapsed on her bed. For a minute, the two sat in silence. Reyna appreciated this in Astrid: she knew when to talk and when to be quiet and let Reyna sort through her thoughts.

At length, Reyna spoke. "This is not a good idea," she said. "Too many legionaries will die."

Astrid sighed. "Maybe. But isn't that kind of our job? To sacrifice our lives so that New Rome and the mortals will be safe?"

Reyna rubbed her temples. "I don't know," she said.

There was a brief pause. Then Astrid said gently, "You and Jason don't agree on this, huh?"

"Is it that obvious?"

Astrid bit her lip. "I don't want to say yes, but…yes. It's pretty obvious."

Reyna sighed. "Of course. And now everyone thinks their leadership is divided, which is the last thing I want. Octavian must be doing backflips."

"Now there's something I'd pay to see." Astrid tugged thoughtfully on her bangs. "But I don't think you should worry too much about the camp. They know people disagree sometimes. They also trust you two to ultimately make the right decision. And they'll do whatever you decide without question."

"You think so?" Reyna asked, wanting to believe her friend.

Astrid grinned. "Of course. Now, you should probably get some rest. I know I want to—I need my beauty sleep before I go attack some Titans."

That pulled a smile out of Reyna. "Going to dazzle them with your beauty?"

Astrid tossed her hair. "If you've got it, work it," she said as she sauntered out. She paused in the doorway, however, and looked back at Reyna. "It'll all work itself out," she said. "Don't worry. Have some faith in Jason."

"I'll try. And Fortuna be with you, Astrid."

Astrid grinned. "Right back at you."

The next morning dawned gray and cool. For the first time, Reyna saw the legion assembled, in full battle gear, in front of the _principia._ Reyna sat atop Scipio, Aurum and Argentum on either side of her. Jason stood beside her, looking regal in his purple cloak and golden armor. Ivlivs hung in sword form at his side.

"Romans!" he shouted. "Today, all our training pays off. We will fight for the protection of the gods and the glory of New Rome. _Senatus Populusque Romanus!" _

The legion echoed the cheer. Reyna raised her spear. "Move out!" she called, and the legion set off toward the camp's borders.

Of course, the legion didn't march all the way from Oakland to Mount Tam—that would take over a day and would exhaust the legionaries before they even arrived on the battlefield. Camp Jupiter employed the use of several vans to help transport the legion if it needed to travel en masse outside the camp's borders. Reyna had to admit it wasn't very noble or glamorous, but it got the job done.

While the centurions and a few older members of the legion drove, Reyna flew overhead on Scipio, keeping an eye out for threats. The drive was a little over an hour, but before Reyna knew it, Mount Othrys was in sight.

Despite the strength of the Mist around the mountain, Reyna could see the black marble of the Titans' base. The legionaries piled out of the van, some still grumbling about the drivers' choice of music. However, they quickly pulled themselves together and organized into their cohorts.

"Are you okay?" Jason said quietly to Reyna as the cohorts assembled before them.

"Of course," she said. "Are you?"

"Definitely," he said, but he looked a little pale. Reyna didn't blame him; she was nervous herself. They knew they couldn't show it, though.

"I'll go give them a quick pep talk," Reyna said, wheeling Scipio around.

"Yeah. You're good at that," Jason said with a grin.

Reyna returned it and trotted over to the assembled cohorts. "Romans!" she called. "Our home is threatened. Will you fight to defend New Rome and all it stands for?"

In unison, the legion banged their shields on the ground.

Reyna permitted herself a small smile. "_Bene. _Make your godly ancestors proud, legionaries."

"That was good," Jason murmured as Reyna trotted back over to him. "Short and to the point, but still stirring."

"I am the master," Reyna replied, making him chuckle. "Ready to do some damage?"

"Absolutely." Jason turned to the legion. "Romans! March!"

The army set off up the mountain, making their steady way up to the Titan stronghold. At the entrance to Mount Othrys, Jason held up a hand, stopping the legion in its tracks. Reyna knew he was giving the legionaries a chance to collect and ready themselves for the impending battle. She gripped her spear more securely and looked down at her fellow praetor. He held Ivlivs's sword hilt, looking far more composed than he probably felt.

"Romans, attack!" Jason shouted, and the legion charged.

Their assault seemed to surprise the Titan forces somewhat, as though they hadn't been expecting a full-on attack. Within the first few minutes, the Romans seemed to gain some ground. But then the Titans regrouped and fought back, and the battle was on.

Reyna swung off Scipio and landed on the marble floor of Mount Othrys. "Scipio, get out of here!" she ordered. She didn't want the pegasus to get hurt in the battle, and close quarters were no place for a mounted warrior anyway.

Scipio snorted but did as she commanded, taking wing and wheeling back toward the vans.

The fight seemed pretty even for a while: the armies were well matched in strength, with the Romans having the advantage of numbers. Little by little, they seemed to gain ground as they battled the Titan forces swarming over the mountain.

Then the mountain seemed to shake. The Titan forces seemed heartened by this for some reason, which Reyna didn't like. Anything that cheered up their enemies was sure to be bad news for the legion.

"What is _that?" _Astrid said, staring at the massive form striding toward them. He wore black armor scattered with silver dots. Giant ram's horns curled from his head.

"Crius," Reyna answered. "Titan of the South and Constellations. This is bad."

The Titan surveyed the fight and laughed—a booming sound that hurt Reyna's ears. "You think attacking this place will have any effect on this war, demigods? While Saturn marches on Olympus itself, you are here, fighting a worthless battle."

"Saturn," Dakota muttered. "That is definitely _not _good."

Reyna couldn't imagine how the gods were faring against the ruler of the Titans. She didn't really want to know.

Just then, Jason stepped forward. He had a cut on his cheek and had lost his shield, but he strode right up to the Titan. "Crius!" he shouted. "I challenge you!"

The Titan laughed. "You, little demigod? And only you?"

"Yes! I am the son of Jupiter and a praetor New Rome. I challenge you because you dared threaten my home and those under my protection!"

"Very well, son of Jupiter," Crius said, leveling his sword at Jason. "If you want a fight, you shall have one."

"Good," Jason said, and launched himself at Crius.

"Reyna, watch out!" Gwen shouted.

Reyna instinctively raised her shield just in time to block a sword's downswing. Reyna didn't recognize the boy holding it, but she had a nagging feeling he was a demigod. _But why would a demigod fight for the Titans?_

The battle raged on. Reyna lost track of time as she blocked, parried, and stabbed at the oncoming waves of enemies. Sometimes she found herself fighting beside her friends and comrades from camp—Astrid, Gwen, Bobby, Octavian. Other times, she fought alone. She was grateful for the skills her mother had given her: Reyna rarely faltered when using weapons and that had never come more in handy than it did now.

After some time—it could have been an hour or it could have been ten minutes—something in the stronghold seemed to shift subtly, throwing everyone off balance for a moment. Chips of black marble fell from a few of the columns and the mighty black throne that stood at the end of the hall seemed suddenly less imposing.

A wave of confusion rippled through both armies. Reyna didn't know what had happened. She looked at Astrid with a frown and the other girl shrugged—she had no idea either.

"He is…gone?" Crius looked baffled.

Then Reyna understood. Saturn, by some miracle, had disappeared. The Titan's leader was gone, and with it, much of their power.

Jason took advantage of the Titan's momentary distraction to attack anew. Reyna wanted to watch him, but was too preoccupied with her own fights to focus on him for long. She slew another hellhound and then bashed a cockatrice in the face with her shield, allowing one of her comrades to kill it.

Jason gave a triumphant yell. Reyna turned in time to see Crius's sword go flying off the edge of the mountain. Jason kicked the Titan in the chest, knocking him on his back.

"I think we're done here," Jason said, and thrust down. Crius howled and dissipated into black smoke.

Everyone, even the few remaining monsters, seemed to stop and stare at the demigod who had just defeated a Titan. As they watched, Jason strode over to Saturn's black throne and, with a strong shove, pushed it off the mountain. The battle was over. Crius had been defeated and Saturn's throne toppled. The Romans had triumphed.

"Ha!" Astrid thrust her fist in the air. Reyna turned to grin at her—just as a last remaining tauros stabbed her between the shoulders.

No!" Reyna shrieked, sprinting over Astrid's side as she fell, a look of surprise on her face. Reyna didn't even think—she whirled around and thrust her spear through the tauros's stomach. It howled and disintegrated into dust.

"Astrid, no," Reyna said, not caring if anyone was looking at her. "Please don't die. You can't."

"I'm okay," Astrid managed. "Reyna, it doesn't hurt."

"Someone get some nectar! Please, hurry!"

Nothing—no one moved or spoke. Then Gwen said gently, "I don't think…Reyna, I don't think a wound like that can be healed."

"We have to try!"

Astrid caught her hand. "Reyna, no."

"But—"

"Shhh. It's okay. I promise." She managed a small smile. "Isn't this how—every Roman wants to go? Fighting for—for their home?"

"Astrid—"

"Doesn't hurt," Astrid said. "Doesn't…doesn't hurt at all." Astrid's hand in Reyna's went slack and her gaze misted over. She was gone.

Not caring enough to wipe away the tears that streamed down her face, Reyna gently brushed her fingertips over Astrid's eyes, closing them. Then she gripped her friend's hand and bowed her head, trying to keep it together in front of her legion.

She felt someone kneel beside her. "Reyna—" Jason began.

"Fine," she choked out. "I'm fine."

"Reyna, come on," he said, tugging her arm gently but persistently. "You need rest, and water."

"But—"

"We'll have the cremation ceremony soon. You need some time alone."

He led her back to one of the vans and made her sit down, putting an arm around her shoulders. Without even thinking about it, Reyna tucked her head into his shoulder, not caring that his armor pressed into her forehead.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I am so, so sorry about this."

"She wanted to go to college after she served her ten years in the legion," Reyna whispered. "She wanted to be an archaeologist."

Jason rubbed her back. "I know," he said. "Just breathe. Here, sit down. Let me get you some water."

He pulled a water bottle out of a cooler and handed it to her. She drank gratefully as he sat beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. In any other circumstance, Reyna would have been uncomfortable with the familiar contact, but she welcomed it now. It was comforting, and she needed comfort just then.

After several minutes, Reyna felt like she could breathe again. She said, far more calmly than she would have thought possible, "The funeral services will start soon."

Jason nodded. "I can oversee that, if you want me to," he said.

Reyna shook her head. "No. I'll go. They were my comrades and friends as much as yours."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He studied her for a minute, then inclined his head. "All right. Come on, then."

They walked back to the battlefield together. Reyna held her head high and didn't look at anyone as she and Jason took their spots next to Octavian.

The funeral pyres had been constructed while they had been away—carefully built platforms of wood with a shrouded body on each one. The names of the fallen and their cohort number had been carved into wooden plaques and placed at the base of each pyre.

_There are too many, _Reyna thought. _Maybe if we trained more…if I were a better leader…there would be fewer casualties. _

Octavian recited the traditional prayers, requesting the dead legionaries be given peace and happiness in the afterlife. Then he nodded to the centurions, each of whom held a lit torch in their hands. As one, they turned and began lighting the pyres of their cohort-mates. The entire legion was respectfully silent as they watched the fires begin to burn.

Reyna glanced at Jason and watched the light from the flames flicker across his face. After a moment, he turned to look at her to. She inclined her head and he returned the gesture, and they both turned their attention back to the burning pyres. She hadn't thanked him, but she knew he understood.


	6. Part VI

A few weeks later, Reyna frowned over the maps in the _principia_. She knew it must be past midnight, but she had to figure out what these renewed monster attacks meant. She studied the markers indicating the locations, trying to make out a pattern of some kind.

"Reyna? What are you doing in here?" Jason appeared in the doorway, wearing a t-shirt and boxers. "It's quarter after one."

"Thinking," she said without looking up. "Planning."

Jason ran a hand through his already-mussed hair. "You should go to bed. That'll be there in the morning."

"But we might not be if we let this problem go." Reyna pointed to the maps. "These monster attacks are getting worse. I can't shake the feeling that something big is going to happen."

"Big like what?" Jason stepped over and leaned over her shoulder to examine the maps himself.

"I don't know. But I don't like it. There shouldn't be this many attacks so close together. It's not normal."

Jason rubbed the scar on his lip thoughtfully. "What should we do about it?"

"I don't know. I don't even know if there's anything we _can _do, other than brace ourselves and wait." Reyna struck the heel of her hand against the table in frustration. "But I don't _want_ to wait. I want to figure this out."

Jason laid a gentle hand on her back. "Breathe," he said quietly. "It's okay. You don't have to figure this out tonight."

Reyna exhaled and tried to relax. Jason's hand was warm on her back, and that warmth seemed to seep under her skin and flow down her spine, spreading through her body and easing the tension there.

"That's it," Jason said. "Just relax. It'll be fine."

"But it won't," Reyna said quietly. "Not if the camp falls under attack. Not with this many monsters. It can't be fine."

"You can't solve every problem by yourself, Reyna."

Reyna sighed. "I know. I _know _that. But I just feel like I have to try." She rubbed her temples. "I thought that maybe after the Titans were defeated that we'd get some peace and quiet, but that doesn't seem to be the case."

"We're demigods. We never get peace and quiet."

She had to smile at that, if only because it was true. "I just wish we had some sort of explanation. If we knew what was causing it, we could form a plan of attack."

"It'll come to you. Just let it go for now, all right?" He took the marker out of her hand. "Let's just go to bed. We'll work on this in the morning."

Much as she wanted to work until she had a solution, Reyna knew he was right. She sighed. "Okay. Let's go."

As they made their way out of the _principia _and to their praetor houses, Jason said, "You'll feel a lot better after you get some sleep. Things can change a lot overnight. You'll see."

As Reyna settled in for the night, she had to hope she was right. She could use a change right about now.

The next morning, Reyna went down early to the _principia_. Despite the previous night's conversation with Jason, she still wanted to study the maps again. Maybe she missed a key clue that would help explain the increased monster attacks.

Reyna was in the _principia _for a good hour. When she finally pulled herself away from her work, she realized she hadn't seen Jason yet.

_That's odd, _she thought. _Usually he finds me before he goes down to breakfast. _

She shrugged it off and went to get breakfast. Though she took her time, browsing through a book on war strategies as she ate, Jason still didn't appear.

Nervous now but trying not to show it, Reyna went back to the _principia. _Jason wasn't there. Aurum and Argentum circled around her feet as she paced back and forth, wondering what to do. Had he left on a quest without telling her? No, that was stupid. No matter how urgent or top-secret, he would have found some way to let her know where he was.

_So something must be wrong, _she thought. Had he been hurt? Kidnapped? But no, that wouldn't happen. Not to Jason. He was too smart and too good of a fighter to let anything happen to him. Wherever he was, he had to be fine.

_Maybe he just went for a walk by himself, _Reyna thought. _And he didn't tell anyone because he didn't want to be bothered. Yes, I'm sure that's it. _

But she wasn't sure, not at all.

Hours passed and Jason still didn't show up, but her duties continued nonetheless. Reyna had quietly informed some of the demigods on duty of his absence, and now she hoped they were keeping an eye out. Now, there was nothing to do but tend to the pile of paperwork that had accumulated over the week and wait for something to happen.

"Reports for you, Reyna," a legacy of Mercury named Nathan said. He stepped inside the _principia, _took one look at Aurum and Argentum, and moved so they were on the opposite side of the table as him.

Reyna stood quickly. "Yes? What is it?" _Did they find him?_

Nathan cleared his throat. "The borders are secure—no reports of activity anywhere. Some of our scouts mentioned monster sightings around, but nothing that couldn't be easily dispatched."

"How many of our scouts?"

"Sorry?"

"How many reported monster attacks and sightings?"

Nathan frowned and shuffled some papers. "Um, now that you mention it…pretty much all of them, I think." He looked up at her. "That's bad, right?"

_Of course it's bad, _Reyna thought, thinking of how many more points she'd have to add to her map. "It's nothing we can't handle," she said aloud. "What else do you have for me?"

"Er, that's it," Nathan said, starting to slide toward the door. Reyna wasn't sure if it was because of her or her dogs.

"But Jason? Where is he?" she said, more sharply than she intended.

His escape thwarted, Nathan shuffled his feet. "He's gone, Reyna."

Reyna gripped the hilt of her dagger. "_Gone_? Gone _where_?"

Nathan looked nervous. "We don't know. We thought you might—well, you were the last person to see him. We figured you would know."

Reyna got right up in Nathan's face, not caring if she was being unnecessarily aggressive. "My fellow praetor is missing and the best you have to offer me on his whereabouts is 'we figured you would _know_?'"

Nathan swallowed, visibly sweating now. "I-I'm sorry. We'll keep looking."

"Good." Reyna turned her back on him, signaling that their conversation was over—and, as far as she was concerned, it would be over until they found Jason.

As soon as Nathan left, Reyna collapsed into her chair and rubbed her temples. She had a very, very bad feeling about what Jason's disappearance would mean for the camp. Not to mention that she, once more, had to run the show alone. She'd gotten so used to having someone else to rely on that she wasn't even sure she knew how to operate solo anymore.

The message Venus had given her that day in the Battery floated, unbidden, to the front of her thoughts. _He will leave you someday. He won't be the same, and he'll bring changes…_

Reyna shook her head, trying to clear it. She couldn't afford to think like that now. She had far more pressing matters to attend to than worrying about some obscure prediction from a ghostly goddess.

Her dogs sat beside her chair as usual, and Reyna found herself wishing she could be like them—unfeeling and rigid, their lives uncomplicated by anything other than their purpose in life.

She sighed and stood. There was no sense in wallowing in self-pity. She had a great deal of responsibilities as praetor, and those didn't vanish simply because Jason had. Before she started working any of those out, though, she decided to organize the _Lares _and some of the campers into search parties for Jason. After all, he couldn't have gotten far.

The map Reyna had been studying the previous night caught her eye. She walked over to it and felt her chest grow tight. It was strange to think that she and Jason had talked over that map not even twelve hours ago, and now he had vanished without a trace.

She took a deep breath to steady herself. Reyna knew she couldn't allow her composure to crack now. The monster problem still loomed, and she would tackle that first. There was a solution, she knew, and she could find it.

A girl named Leah poked her head into the state room. "Reyna?" she said. "Octavian's here. He says he wants to speak to you."

_He works quickly, _Reyna thought. She hadn't doubted he would be on her when he heard of Jason's disappearance, but even she hadn't imagined Octavian would have found out so soon. It didn't matter. Maybe it was better to deal with him sooner rather than later.

Reyna settled herself in her chair and drew herself up as straight as she was able. She laid her hands on Aurum and Argentum's heads and lifted her chin, clearing her face of any thought or emotion. Now that she was alone, she knew she had to be regal, to find her inner strength and grip it as tightly as she could. She had to be a queen; like her name, like her sister. The greatest queen. _Regina maxima. _

"Send him in."

_Finis_

* * *

**And that's the end, folks.**


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